ESAMEA's proposals on Personal Assistant, mobility instructors, and disability support submitted to Parliament

The National Confederation of Disabled Persons (ESAMEA) has presented its proposals to the Greek Parliament concerning a draft law from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family. The legislation, titled "Personal Assistant, Early Intervention and other active policies for people with disabilities, housing policy regulations and other provisions," aims to enhance support systems for individuals with disabilities.

Vasillis Koutsianos, the general secretary of ESAMEA, presented the confederation's positions on Friday, July 17. He conveyed ESAMEA's satisfaction with the establishment of the "Personal Assistant" program as a permanent national service. Koutsianos described this development as a significant first step toward creating a comprehensive framework for independent living policies for people with disabilities in Greece, noting that the program fulfills a long-standing demand from the disability movement.

“

This development constitutes a significant first step toward the gradual formation of a comprehensive framework of independent living policies for people with disabilities in our country.

ESAMEA also emphasized the need to ensure that all citizens deemed eligible for the pilot "Personal Assistant" program, but who were not included due to lotteries, are integrated without requiring new assessments. Among the confederation's main proposals for the "Personal Assistant" program are: maintaining income as an eligibility criterion without it being a ranking factor to ensure equal treatment; increasing the age limit to 75 years for individuals with disabilities who receive benefits before turning 67; and ensuring eligibility for both those with lifelong and temporary disability certifications. They also proposed that the non-digitization of certifications from the Armed Forces' Medical Committees should not be a reason for exclusion.

Regarding the training and professional recognition of mobility instructors, Koutsianos pointed out that the current implementation method does not align with the professional accreditation of the specialty. He noted that it is not integrated into the National System of Vocational Education and Training and disregards a unanimous report from a government-appointed working group. ESAMEA views the draft law's limitation of specialized training to simple professional development as a serious downgrading of the specialty. While acknowledging the legislative initiative's positive direction, ESAMEA believes substantial improvements are needed in its specific provisions. For housing support, ESAMEA proposed a 50% increase in housing benefits for households with individuals having a 50% or higher disability, and called for consideration of special housing needs arising from disabilities, particularly concerning accessibility.

“

The confederation emphasizes that all citizens deemed eligible for the pilot program but not included due to lotteries must be integrated without a new assessment process.